It wasn’t quite a Churchillian “blood, tears and sweat” speech but new manager Micky Adams made it clear he did not have any quick or easy fixes or a “magic confidence pill” to fight Tranmere’s bottom of the Football League condition.

Nor is he daunted by the “enormity of the task ahead”.

The manager described by chairman Mark Palios as having the best CV of any potential contender for the job, says the priority is to take the fear factor out of a group of players who’ve won only two out of 13 League Two games so far this season.

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They are going to have to acquire some bottle, Adams said. He also plans to rebalance the squad inherited from predecessor Rob Edwards, who was dismissed by Palios at the start of last week.

Adams has some funds and the backing of the Wirral club’s new owners to operate in the loan market in the short term and the line up targets for permanent signings when the January transfer window opens.

But the process may not be quick and Adams asked supporters to show some patience while he works at turning the team’s fortunes around and eliminating the threat of a second relegation in 12 months.

“Everyone knows this is a good football club,” Adams said. “The facilities, the stadium, the pitch and the history are good. The problem we have is we are trying to sell the club to people who only look at league tables.

“So I would ask the fans to be a little bit patient with us. I think I know where the problems are.”

Adams cast his eye over the team during a 2-0 defeat in the bottom of the table battle at Oxford United last Saturday and found the experience a revealing one.

He takes charge of the side for the first time when Rovers play host to Mansfield in a League Two encounter at Prenton Park tonight.

He said: “I see a little bit of fear in the boys at the moment. That is understandable. They are only human. They look at league tables.

“I’d been in the job a day and the enormity of the task has hit me. But I’m not daunted. I’m impressed by Mark Palios who wants to take the club forward. He’s going to back me.

“If I look at the squad and it looks imbalanced. I say that without decrying the work of the previous manager. I have a plethora of strikers and in other certain areas there is very little in terms of backup and cover.

“We have to decide with the players I have available to me what system I’ve got to play, because that will dictate it.

“When January comes around we can perhaps play a system and style of play I want. For the moment I am dictated by the players I have in the dressing room.”

Tranmere parted company with first-team coach Alex Russell yesterday, perhaps a sign that Adams is liable to have a more pragmatic take on the pass and move football favoured by Edwards.

Adams said: “My ideas are quite simple. We have to score goals. I want to see crosses getting into the box, I want to see centre forwards in the box.

“I want to see us having opportunities to score goals. Yes I would like us to pass and play it and I want us to do it in the right areas.”

No stranger to the basement division, Adams guided Port Vale to promotion from League Two in 2012/13. “This is a division where players need bottle, it’s a very tough league,” Adams said. “It is horrible at times. Can you play your way out of it? Yes you can. I have had teams that have done that.

“You need to stand up and be counted as well. If you are big and strong it works in your favour. You have to have the bottle to play when things are not going well for you.

“I have four promotions on my CV but I have had relegations as well. I’m not going to kid anyone. It is there. I know the supporters want instant results. I can’t guarantee that but I will guarantee we’ll be trying our best to improve.”

Adams started work at Prenton Park a month after parting company with Port Vale, where he remains a firm favourite with fans. He said: “People asked me why I have taken this job and I say there’s a lot of good football managers sitting at home. I want to work.

“There’s a lot of good managers out there with big egos who perhaps would not have taken on this challenge and I’m looking forward to it. I am not daunted by the task ahead. Each league presents its different problems. If you look through my history, I have had decent success at this level.

“I don’t take it for granted. It’s not all about managers a lot of the time, it’s about players. At the moment we have a group of players who are slightly underperforming, slightly lacking in confidence. It’s up to me to get the best out of them and bring the confidence back. I have been on the training ground this morning and I’ve spoken to all of the players, one-to-one. They’ve shown me they’ve got the appetite for it, which is important.

“I think it’s about the confidence. I can’t go out to a shop and buy them a confidence pill.

“It’s got to be a slow process. I’m going to introduce some things that will make them better. They might not particularly enjoy it. It will be a process to get from A to B and the quicker they get to B the better.”